Newlywed vocational agricultural teachers believe in FFA

Working in neighboring school districts as vocational agricultural teachers seems to work out perfectly for newlyweds Nathan and Doreen Jamison.

"We never really planned it this way but it seemed to work out," laughed Nathan, a May 2002 graduate of Penn State University who is now teaching vocational agricultural at Berlin-Brothersvalley School District. He takes over the position after Michael Clark left to accept a position at GreenwoodHigh School in Perry County.

Nathan's bride Doreen, a December 2002 PennStateUniversity graduate, teaches vocational agricultural at Meyersdale Area High School. Both teachers serve as the Future Farmers of America (FFA) advisers.

It was through collegiate FFA at PennState that the Jamisons met. Both Nathan and Doreen are past presidents of collegiate FFA at PennState. They were married on April 5 of this year. Their love for FFA and teaching others how to improve themselves through FFA seems to be their single purpose.

"FFA sparked my interest and I had a deep fondness for it. I stayed very active in it through high school and college," said Nathan, who first got into FFA in ninth grade at UnitedHigh School in Indiana County.

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Although Nathan did not grow up on a dairy farm, he worked extensively on a dairy farm in high school and raised ringneck pheasants as farming projects for FFA.

Doreen, however, grew up on a family dairy farm in Blair County and learned about a family business with her parents, Durell and Don Delp, and three sisters, including Deanne, a junior at Messiah College, Donna, an 11th grader, and Danielle, a second-grader. Nathan's parents are Lynn and Deanna Jamison.

"Growing up on a dairy farm taught my sisters and I so much responsibility and a good work ethic," said Doreen, the oldest of the four girls. "Nathan and I are country folks and we enjoy being here in Somerset County because it reminds us of the rural areas we grew up in."

Nathan hopes to continue and build upon what he describes as the "history of excellence" of the FFA program at Berlin Brothersvalley.

"There is a strong curriculum here and I hope to continue that activeness. This is a strong chapter but I would like to expand on every opportunity," stressed Nathan.

Part of that "history of excellence" at Berlin comes from longtime vocational agricultural teacher Doyle Paul, who still serves the school district as the Berlin Chapter of Young Farmers adviser but is retired from the school district after over 35 years of service.

Paul is also employed with PennState's Center for Professional and Personal Development, which means he supervises all first, second and third-year teachers in Western Pennsylvania, including the Jamisons.

Paul believes that the Jamisons had a well-rounded program at PennState and will work together to bring positive features to their curriculums.

"PennState instructs young people with new technology and new methods of vocational agricultural, such as using the computer to complete project record books," said Paul. "In addition, both have vocational agricultural backgrounds in high school and college."

Berlin has about 100 members from eighth to 12th grade. This year, in support of state FFA president, David Bittner of Berlin, the Berlin chapter plans to attend the national FFA convention in Louisville, Ky., in late October with seven Brothersvalley members and two from the Meyersdale chapter.

"I try to stress to the younger vo-ag kids," said Nathan. "It's not always about traditional programs in FFA, it's also about leadership and public speaking. These things get you somewhere in life."

Nathan believes agriculture is so important for everyone to understand on some level because food is not made at the grocery store.

"Unfortunately, agriculture is dwindling to a point but agriculture is something that will never go away because people will always need food and clothing," he said.

"When I see an agriculture program closing, it breaks your heart a little. I have a lot of farm kids enrolled in FFA but then I have a large percentage who are not on farms but have a deep interest in agriculture. We have to try to keep agriculture going with the younger generation or it will disappear. Everything goes back to FFA."